10 Healthy Meals in
10 Minutes or Less

What got you to boot camp this morning? What made you struggle through one more second of a TRX plank hold? What was it that planted the thought in your head to show up again tomorrow and do it all again?

What gave you the will to forgo dessert or a handful of Cheez-Its? What empowered you to make yourself a plate of sautéed kale, salad or roast chicken instead of grabbing a slice of pizza and a can of Fanta?

What drives you to commit to your health and fitness regimen?

It could be any number of things, from bikini desires to competing in a 10K to simple peace of mind.

Why is it good to know what motivates you? Because by defining your personal oomph triggers you can reassert your commitment no matter where you are on the continuum of your health and fitness goals. And if you’re anything like me, there are times when focus lags, you ask yourself what the point is when it can be so hard, and you need to regroup in order to keep on keeping on.

Breaking it down, there are two kinds of motivation: extrinsic and intrinsic.

Extrinsic motivators come from external sources as you might have guessed. Examples include rewards, like say, winning the Pushups for Charity event and pounding out more reps than your competition. Or maybe your trainer has offered incentive rewards like free classes or a cool T-shirt. Other, more personal extrinsic rewards are things like numbers—going from a size ten to an eight in those skinny jeans; losing fat or inches. If you’re taking before, during and after photographs, seeing your body composition change in a way that fills you with glee would be an extrinsic motivator.

As you can imagine, intrinsic motivators are internally driven. Maybe you show up to boot camp because you simply love the feeling of accomplishment you get once it’s all over. Maybe you get off on the endorphin rush. Maybe you love the feel of a kettlebell in your hand and being in class makes you feel more at home than, well, being at home does. When it comes to food choices, the same applies. If you’ve been mindfully observing that you feel great after treating yourself to a steak and salad, but feel like a big sack of crap after a plate of waffles or ravioli, you’re intrinsically motivated to eat what makes you feel good.

What extrinsic and intrinsic motivators have in common is that they both drive you to action.

The trickiest part of the equation? As I said before, sticking with it. If you’ve ever experienced quitting just when the going gets good, or conversely, quitting at the onset of illness or injury, read on. Hell, read on anyway.

No matter what your reasons are for quitting or slacking on your fitness routine, one thing is certain: you lost your motivation. Here’s how to get it back and keep it working for you.

1. If you don’t know already, figure out what motivates you. How? Observe yourself in action before boot camp, kettlebells, a run or a training session. Practice mindfulness and notice your thoughts. Is exercise bad medicine that makes you feel great afterwards, or a luxury you can’t afford not to miss? Do you make a habit of rewarding yourself with a treat when you push yourself extra hard? Maybe once you lose a dress size you buy yourself something special. No matter what it is, pay attention. These are the things that drive you. You might also notice that the extrinsic motivators that got you going when you first committed to your workout plan no longer pack the punch they used to, and the positive feelings you experience from working out have taken over as your number one reason to get your butt to boot camp or kettlebells. This is a normal, typical, positive progression.
2. Record your thoughts. This one is especially good for those who experience what I like to call “Swiss Cheese Brain.” This phenomenon arises when you have children. Ahem. But seriously, writing down your personal motivators can help you when you need it most. When an extra hour of sleep becomes more appealing than hauling your butt to 6am boot camp, or when you can’t find a good enough reason not to finish the entire pint of Ben & Jerry’s, you can revisit your written list of motivators and get back on track. Also think about recording how you feel before and after eating and exercising.
3. Educate yourself. I find it’s a lot easier to make healthy food choices, for example, when I know WHY processed foods are bad for me, and why whole, real food is optimal. The same is true with exercise. Knowing the medical benefits of regular strength and conditioning versus the adverse effects of sitting on my rear end all day does wonders for my motivation!
4. Hang out with the right crowd. Surround yourself with like-minded folks you share your goals and philosophies regarding health and fitness. You’ll find it’s much easier to stay on track if you’re not shooting the BS with a pack of overeating sloths who shun eating healthy and routinely make fun of joggers and yogis.
5. Share your findings. Seriously, see that comment button? Click it and let me know what motivates YOU! I draw inspiration from all of you to keep me motivated, and suspect that some, if not most of you might benefit from the same. I absolutely adore this community of health-conscious men and women we’ve cultivated here at Performance Fitness. Sharing our experiences, thoughts and expertise can surely aid us all. So get tapping and see you soon!

Where do you get your meat?

It’s one question I am asked regularly and can answer without blushing. People are interested in humanely raised, grass-fed or pastured meat, eggs and dairy. They’re hearing about the nutritional and environmental benefits of meat sourced from reputable small farmers. Benefits such as high levels of healthy fats, CLAs and omega-3s, that are found in grass-fed and pastured meats and the fertilization and harvesting that occurs when animals are allowed to roam in their natural environment.

Then there’s the produce. Community Supported Agriculture or CSAs have been around for a while now, providing locally grown, pesticide-free seasonal fruits and vegetables.

I’ve put together a handy list with links to give you a head start on this season’s freshest, most nutritious fare—food that not only provides superior nutrition, but tastes better too. Happy eating!

Eat Wild. This is the one stop go-to resource for anyone looking for local, organic fare including grass-fed products plus wild-caught seafood and wild honey.

Hendricks Farm and Dairy (Telford, PA): Artisinal cheeses and charcuterie, raw milk and dairy products, pastured chicken (and the eggs that they produce) and pork and grass-fed meat.

Your Family Farmer (weekly Drop Points all over the Philadelphia area): Excellent quality grass-fed and pastured meats, eggs and raw dairy plus kombucha-making equipment, raw honey and pickling paraphernalia.

Farmers markets—

Bryn Mawr Farmers Market—Saturdays from 9 – 1, starting May 5.

Lancaster Ave at Morris Ave across from the Ludington Library.

Oakmont Farmers Market (my “hometown” market)—Wednesdays in Havertown from 3 – 7 PM, starting May 15.

Grace Chapel Parking Lot, 1 West Eagle Road

Bala Cynwyd Farmers Market—Thursdays from 2:30 – 6:30 PM, starting May 17.

Belmont Ave and St. Asaph’s Road in the GSB parking lot.

I’ve posted this a couple of times during our annual Clean Up and Your Best Body challenges.

With this being the first weekend of the YBBC 2013, it’s time to post it again. Even if you’re not doing our challenge, you may find the tips below helpful in surviving your weekend.

So, it’s your first weekend on the Clean Up. You’ve got a girls’ night, a charity ball, and a family birthday party (with cake as the main event), not to mention Saturday lox and bagels at the corner bagel shop.

And what if you eff it all up? Might as well wait until Monday to get back on track, right? No! One “dirty” meal, or a weekend full of them, is no reason to abandon clean eating until the next weekday. Each new meal is an opportunity to start off, well, fresh and Clean. If you eat dirty at one meal – own it, get over it and get back on track at the next meal.

So, how do you plan to deal with the weekend? Post your strategy here or in our Facebook group.

It’s April but you know you’re thinking about summer.

Want to rock a smokin’ beach body this summer? You have to work for it. Here are TEN things you can do to create your best summer body:

1. Move heavy stuff. Whether it’s a dumbbell, a kettlebell or a medicine ball, heavier is better. For you women out there, there’s no need to worry about bulking up. Bulking is a testosterone thing and women simply don’t have enough to get scary big. But lifting heavy does stoke your metabolism, and burn more fat during and AFTER your workout. It also sculpts sexy muscles that will lift your derriere and create an enviable figure. We’re talking lats, glutes, pecs and delts.

2. Sprint. Perfrom 30 seconds all-out of any activity that makes your heart-rate soar, or do some HIIT (high intensity interval training) which can be 2-4 minutes in duration followed by a shorter rest period. Both sprinting and HIIT provide myriad benefits including:

• Power—sprinting increases the ability of the muscle to contract and move your body or an external weight.
• Fat loss—’nuff said.
• Excess post exercise oxygen consumption—or EPOC. What this means is, you’ll keep burning calories even after you stop working out.
• Sprinting is an efficient calorie burner.** Time crunch? Sprint!

**Sprinting on and off for twenty or even ten minutes versus jogging for an hour burns more calories in a shorter time. I’m seeing the term chronic cardio more and more these days in reference to long duration treadmilling and other steady-paced cadio activities that last thirty minutes or more. The takeaway from chronic cardio is increased appetite and fatigue, and lowered immunity. The effects of chronic cardio simply cannot compete with the benefits (one of the biggest benefits being FAT loss) gained from sprinting or HIIT exercises.

3. Sleep. Studies show that a good night’s sleep can boost your fitness efforts while conversely, a bad night’s sleep or insufficient sleep can actually cause weight gain through hormonal fluctuations, not to mention the increased appetite you find you have from simply trying to stay awake. Sleep makes you beautiful. They don’t call it beauty sleep for nothing. Go and get you some.

4. Get tan—old school style. And yes, my dark-skinned sisters, we’re already “tan” but we need the sun too. Twenty minutes of UV rays a day during peak hours—sans sunscreen—is GOOD for you. Sun exposure is needed for our bodies to produce Vitamin D, an important vitamin that has been shown to reduce risk of diseases including hypertension, MS, and osteoporosis and even mitigate memory loss. Other research shows that a little sun exposure can help you prevent skin cancer. That’s right. I said prevent. While getting out into the sun won’t improve your six pack, a little bit of color gives your skin a healthy glow and healthy looks SEXY. More than twenty minutes in the sun and you need to seek shade or a zinc or titanium-based sunscreen.

5. Eat your fat—just make sure it’s the right kind. Coconut oil, avocados, extra virgin olive oil and organic butter will help your skin look dewy and smooth from the inside out. Vegetable oils on the other hand—canola, corn, safflower and sunflower—can cause breakouts, especially if they’re used to fry the foods you’re eating. Be attentive when eating out. It’s okay to ask the waiter what exactly you’re eating. And don’t be fooled by restaurant-made oil and vinegar. I’ve seen soybean oil in place of olive oil more times than I can count. Remember: it’s your body. No one’s going to take as good care of it as you. Right? Right.

6. Hydrate. Good old H2O. Get it while it’s still relatively cheap. Have a tall glass before you eat to sate you so you don’t wind up stuffing your face (remember, diet is the key to sculpted abs). Calories DO count, so swapping juice for water is a no-no unless you want to get fat. Same goes for sodas, including the diet varieties. If you give up one thing this summer, let it be any non-water beverage. (Coffee and tea are okay in moderation.) If you’re exercising—and you are—or spending more time in the sun, or eating a high-protein diet, you will need even more. So sip some aqua throughout the day and don’t forget to toast to your health.

7. Recover. Muscles and strength build your workout. Don’t run yourself into the ground, get sick and have to take weeks off. Instead, take a day or two off every week and watch your body transform in wonderful ways.

8. Salad up. Summer is a wonderful time to put together big, satisfying healthy salads that will fill you but not fatten you. Lettuce, grilled chicken, peppers, avocado, slivered almonds, onions, berries, quinoa and a couple tablespoons of homemade vinaigrette will satisfy you for hours. Have you heard the term Volumetrics? It’s a simple concept that works: Add bulk to your diet without adding a whole lot of extra calories and your body will fill up for longer, simply from the increased food VOLUME. Try it and see. Then swap recipes with fellow boot campers and kettlebellers and watch each other’s waistlines shrink.

9. Get your mind right. Instead of focusing on the weight you still have to lose, focus on the strength, speed and power you’ve gained. Instead of wondering why your stomach still pooches, admire the leanness and great toned lines of your calves and thighs, and show them off. You deserve to celebrate all your hard work. Love your curves and approach your fitness goals from a loving, positive place.

10. Play! How many grown-ups actually get up off their rear ends and dive into the water? How many toss around a Frisbee or ball on the beach? Fewer and fewer from what I’ve seen. Pool and beach time can be active fun that gets you smiling with friends and family, like you used to when you were a kid. After a rollicking good time riding waves or practicing underwater handstands, catch a few rays, a few winks and catch up on a good book.

Put these tips into practice and you can bet someone will be watching you this summer with envious eyes, thinking, “That bitch. I wish I looked like that.”

Ahhh, summer.

Feeling a little nervous about what body you’ll be taking to the beach? Don’t be! Sign up for our 8-week Your Best Body Challenge and watch your fat (and nerves) melt away. See you at the beach!

Still haven’t signed up for the 2013 Best Body Challenge? Planning on skipping it this time around? Feeling a little meh? Dragging your feet?

What’s stopping you? It can’t be the price, especially you, current members. $37 is a steal and you know it. $97 for newbies? That’s less than your daily latte habit. Plus you’re getting our expert guidance. If there’s one thing that sets Performance Fitness apart from the other guys, it’s personal attention plus detailed modifications that suit your abilities, protect you from injuries and challenge you to attain and even surpass your health and fitness goals.

Fondling your credit card? Or are you still on the fence?

Here’s a handy list of even more reasons your body and mind will thank you for stepping up to the 2013 Best Body Challenge—

1. Beach readiness—Who’s going to be hated at the township pool this summer for having the sickest physique?
   
   

   This lady's vying for the title of "Sickest Physique at the Pool"

   
   HINT: it’s not going to be the lady who thinks walking the dog counts as exercise, or the guy who scarfs a bagel for breakfast every day. It’s going to be the woman who brings it to the next level by pounding out one more military pushup when she’s sure she’s fried, or the guy who makes it a priority to cook himself an omelet stuffed with a rainbow of vegetables a few times a week.
2. Increase your fitness ability—strength and speed and endurance. No more phoning it in with that 8-pound medicine ball. No more jogging when we say, sprint. They don’t call it a challenge for nuthin’, kid. You got what it takes? Come on. Show yourself. What do you have to lose? I don’t know, maybe pounds? Inches? Crappy eating habits?
3. Confidence—you know you got it. But how do you get it? By achieving the impossible—the impossible 60 seconds of jump squats you couldn’t do before. The impossible one-minute plank hold you’ve made your b*tch. The impossible commitment to eating unprocessed foods that somehow became your default, chosen lifestyle. You broke on through to the other side, and more than your flat abs or tight booty, your smile tells the world how awesome you are. Go on wid yo’ bad self.
4. Happiness, aka: Vitality, aka: That Glow—we’re talking science here. Biochemistry. Say what? Neurotransmitters, people. Endorphins from exercising hard and intelligently. Serotonin, GABA and catecholamines from eating healthy real foods like chicken, fish and even butter! Decreased depression and anxiety from giving up “drugs” like sugar and processed wheat. Supple, dewy skin (makes me happy anyway) and a brighter outlook from adding healthy fats like fish, avocado, olive and coconut oil. We’ll teach you how to eat happy during the challenge.
5. Community—Maybe the best reason of all to embark on this year’s Best Body Challenge is to connect with other like-minded people who share similar goals. There will be email interaction, meetings, weigh-ins, a secret Facebook group, a cooking workshop and more. Get to know your fellow bootcampers and kettlebellers beyond the required hello-nice-to-meet-you under threat of punitive burpees. Spend time swapping bootcamp war stories and bonding over how grueling it is, but how you’re committing to achieving your goals together!
6. Rekindle the Flame—I know I said Top 5 Reasons, but I lied. This one’s for anyone who feels like they’re burning out. I 99% swear that if you’ve reached a plateau in your fitness or diet regimen, you will transcend it with this year’s challenge. It will shake up your stale routine and take you to the next level.

Remember, your success is my success. I want to watch you achieve Your Best Body. I know you can do it. Sign up today.

Come with me if you dare, on a journey to the TRUTH. (Cue the Sanskrit chants…But seriously, humor me.)

So, where is the light?

It’s in your mirror. And in your brain. And in your gut. It’s that jolt of emotion that makes you turn away from your reflection and run to the fridge. The light is hurting your eyes because you’re not ready for the truth of it.

What is the light?

The light is the thing you see when you finally stop buying your own BS and get your head out of the ice cream carton.

The BS is the dark. It’s what causes you to rationalize a second (or third) heavy dessert in the span of a week. It’s what whispers in your ear, “It’s okay. Use the 8-pound medicine ball.” or “She said sprint, but it’s okay to jog. I’m here, aren’t I?”

Does any of this leave you feeling exposed?

Is it time to go ahead and look into the light?

Let’s start with your goals. Chances are if you’re just phoning it in you have no clear health and fitness goals. It means it’s time to regroup and tune into your heart.

What do you want out of all this?

Is your goal simply to show up for boot camp? Well, that’s a good place to start. But where do you go from there? Do you grow complacent and find yourself rationalizing more and more junky snacks? Do you wonder what the point is? Do you feel like you’re riding on the merry-go-round of mediocrity?

It might sound cheesy, but give goals a chance. Imagine that you have a fitness goal. Maybe it’s to love your body in a bikini by June. Or maybe it’s to be able to run five miles without stopping, or do a set of pistol squats by a certain date.

Now imagine yourself working toward that goal. Your focus shifts. You work out a strategy. You research. You plan. You embark on your journey and one night you’re at a party and there’s a huge platter of pastries and all of a sudden, they don’t look irresistible anymore.

In fact, those doughy concoctions look like an obstacle placed between you and your goal, a test you’re determined to pass. To have that éclair wouldn’t be the worst thing, especially if you stopped at one. But if you have the éclair, and the wine, and the crackers and the fondue, and you wake up the next morning and drown your sorrows in a big old raisin bagel with a tall OJ chaser, then your goals are being compromised.

Without a goal, you’re better at BS-ing yourself. You muddy your own waters and then one day you’re in boot camp wondering why you’re not breaking a sweat, and why you’re still the same shape and size as when you started.

If that’s the case, you may as well eat a box of donuts for lunch and call it a day.

So here’s a boost—a little list of short-term goals to give you a taste of clarity, drive, momentum and RESULTS.

-50 military pushups within 2 months (Pushups For Charity is right around the corner! HINT HINT)
-A one-minute handstand hold in one month
-A five-mile run in under 50 minutes
-Give up all processed foods and/or sugar and/or dairy and/or wheat for one month and track your moods.
-Commit to transforming your body into a lean, mean, bootcamping machine that looks HOT in a bikini by the time school’s out.

Notice that none of these goals is anything like, “lose ten pounds by my birthday,” or “get rid of this flabby ass,” or “eat 800 calories a day.” Those right there are discouraging, undermining, and just plain mean “goals,” not to mention unsustainable, temporary and vague.

BUT‚ challenging yourself to build muscle, get stronger and healthier are positive, specific goals that you can hitch a lifestyle to AND sustain over a period of time. Because once you conquer those pushups, chances are you set your sights higher, on a chin-up bar perhaps.

So go ahead and let a little light in. Set a goal. Stop BS-ing yourself. Because if we’re being perfectly honest, what do you have to lose?

You know the answer to that one.

Last week in part one of my interview with Jackie Dunleavy we covered running, working out, and 80s music. Today we cover her training and inspiration for the Disney Princess Half Marathon.

Jackie - post Disney Princess 1/2 Marathon

MDC: OK, let’s be serious again. What was your motivation for running the Disney Princess Half Marathon?

JD: I have complete amnesia about how much I hated running and all the “pain” associated with it when I first started. Once I ran a 5K and realized that I liked running I needed a bigger goal to keep me going. I thought – Half Marathon! But the idea seemed so scary. I heard about the half at Disney and thought it was the perfect fit.

MDC: What was your training schedule like?

JD: Training for the half really included a long “ramping up” from 5K, 8K, 10 Miler and then 13.1. I ran a bunch of 5Ks over the summer and fall, ran the 8K in November, and the 10 Miler in December. These races were beneficial as mental benchmarks. Once I did the 10 Miler, I felt much more confident that the 13.1 miles of the Half Marathon was within my grasp. Christmas and New Year’s presented much more of a challenge to me than I had anticipated, so most of the training I had “planned” to do didn’t happen. I ended up doing little-to-no running for about 3 weeks after the 10 Miler, then did an accelerated 6-week training prior to the half. Each week consisted of one long, slow run, 2-3 shorter runs (including one Tempo run where I try to do one or two middle miles at 5K pace), and 1-2 boot camp classes.

MDC: How did boot camp help with your race prep?

JD: That’s really easy! It really helped with endurance and core strength. You run with your core, and as you get tired your form deteriorates. The stronger your core the more you’re able to maintain form.

Boot camp makes you physically and mentally strong…boot camp definitely helps.

A brief nod to boot camp

MDC: What races are on your to do list?

JD: The Philly Rock and Roll Half. I’d love to go to Ireland and do the Dublin Rock and Roll Half Marathon.

MDC: As sappy as it sounds, I always tell people that fitness and weight loss are an ongoing journey Some what’s are “easy”; complete no brainers. Others are downright craptastic – filled with constant struggle and devil-on-your-shoulder moments. Have you experienced that?
JD: Sure. I don’t really feel that I’ve been as successful as I could have been in the last 3 months. I’ve eaten more crap than I’d like to admit and haven’t stuck to working out, but I have recommitted myself. I’ve started eating clean and holding myself accountable again. [editor’s note: Since doing that Jackie has lost 4 more pounds, talking her total weight loss to 45 pounds!]

MDC: What are your current goals?

JD: 1. Become a better runner. The fitter and leaner I am, the better runner I can be.
2. Do a 5K in under 30 minutes and do a half marathon in 2:30. Someday I’d like to do a full marathon.
3. Lose 15 more pounds.
4. Look like [fellow boot camper], Elise Miller.
5. Learn how to balance working out, diet, and family life.

MDC: You’ve already done amazing things in terms of improving your health. Do people ask you about your transformation? If so, what do you tell them and how do you feel?

JD: I tell them “You’re not going to like my answer. Diet and exercise. Accountability to yourself and to others.”
I feel like I can be a positive influence in the lives of others…

Thanks for your time Jackie. I know your story will help inspire others.

Jackie Dunleavy

Boot camper, Jackie Dunleavy, just completed her first Half Marathon a few weeks ago. This is one highlight along her journey to losing 45 pounds over the past year.

I’ve known Jackie since we were kids at Upper Darby Summer Stage. We reconnected at random events and places during the last decade. Jackie did a stint at boot camp back in 2009 and returned this past July in order to break through a weight loss plateau. Since her returned Jackie has rocked out the burpee and the bear crawl, and made it her quest to get me to enjoy running (keep working on it, Jackie!).

Here’s part one of our interview covering running, fitness and 80′s music.

MDC: Jackie, tell us a little bit about yourself.

JD: I’m a Delco girl – I grew up in Springfield and I live in Drexel Hill with my daughter, Elizabeth. I’m a professional musician, and I perform with various choruses around the Philadelphia area.

MDC: Cool. So, how did you originally find Performance Fitness, and what led to you try out boot camp?

JD: At the time we [Jackie and Michelle] were both studying with the same voice teacher. I saw your flyer on his piano during my voice lesson and I decided to give boot camp a try. I was motivated by the fact that I hated gyms – I had tried having gym memberships in the past and had failed.

But the bigger motivator was opera. I was singing in an opera with an insane director who wanted us crawling and climbing all over the floor for the entire first act. By the end of the first rehearsal, I was crippled. Couldn’t move. I was so out of shape that I wondered if I’d even make it through another rehearsal.

The next day I thought “This is ridiculous.” I didn’t want to ever feel like I couldn’t move my body again. “That’s enough!” I thought. Also someone posted a picture of the chorus–from behind–from that rehearsal. I looked square! I thought “I can’t age like this. This can’t be me!”

MDC: In February of last year you started to really get serious about nutrition and weight loss. Then in April you started running, and in July you came back to boot camp. What motivated you then?

JD: Well, I didn’t want to pass on bad health and bad habits to my daughter. I wanted to be an example of healthy living, so that when she reached adulthood it would be easier…second nature.

My age was also a motivator. I had already lived passed the mortality age of both my grandmothers (they both died before 40), and my father and one of my brothers died in their 50s.

At the time I started on this quest I didn’t have a full time job, so I had no excuse anymore. I thought this is something I deserve and this is my gift to myself.

MDC: You’ve also told me that the Food Network played a role in your early weight loss.

JD: Yes. I love Chopped and Iron Chef, and I was inspired to start cooking more. The act of cooking made me so much more conscience of what I was putting in my mouth. I started making better quality choices, and thinking “Is this food worthy of me?”

MDC: I LOVE that line! Totally going to steal that. So, how did you start running?

JD: I ran in grade school (the mile). I was not good, but I finished all my races. I always felt like running was something I could/should/would do. Fast forward 25 years…when I started going to boot camp, I enjoyed the warm-ups when we ran, and thought I’d like to do more. I heard about a Couch to 5K App for iPhone and bought it. But I never had the courage to start. It was on my phone for almost 3 years before I made the decision to start. What made starting easier was that I started a diet first. Once I got the weighing, measuring, and eating clean food under control (about 2 months), I noticed that I was having success and felt brave enough to take a shot at running. I knew running would help me greatly in my weight loss, and…I was right!

MDC: And what made you decide to come back to boot camp this past summer?

JD: I had seen the positive effects of running, but I realized the importance of strength training for continued weight loos and overall fitness and health. Like I said, I hate gyms, so coming back to boot camp was a logical move.

MDC: OK, time for some fun questions. What’s your favorite boot camp exercise and least favorite.

JD: Favorites – anything TRX. Also planks, push-ups and jumping jacks. I’ve made friends with the burpee. It’s not my favorite, but I don’t hate it.
Least favorite – Bear crawls, Mt. Climbers, and any sort of sit up.

MDC: Favorite workout/running music

JD: Fast temp stuff, especially Rhianna – Pon De Replay, Outcast – Hey Ya, and Beyoncé – Single Ladies.

MDC: Like me, you’re a child of the 80’s. What are some of your favorite 80’s bands.

JD: The Police, The Eurhythmics, and David Bowie. [side note: Jackie does totally awesome dance moves to The Go Go’s)

In part 2 of our interview we talk about training for a half marathon and how to get back on the fitness wagon. Tune in next week!

The last time I blogged about apps I was talking appetizers. This time around, I’m talking the inedible sorts—those tiny illustrated squares that decorate the screens of your iPhones and iPads.

If you’re a savvy P. Fit-er—and I know you are—then you’re smart enough to know that sometimes you need a little help keeping track of the important elements of fitness and nutrition.

A caveat before you dig in—

Tracking your food intake is a fine line to walk, because maybe you’re TOO savvy for your own good. Maybe you keep such good track that tracking starts getting in the way of your life.

This article from Whole 9 illustrates this scenario. Nia Shanks, another fitness expert I admire agrees.

Then there are other experts who stress importance of tracking and suggest using MyFitnessPal.

It’s enough to make your kettlebells spin.

I personally don’t encourage people to weigh and measure their food more than necessary, and before I move on, let’s define “necessary”: If you want to change your body, you must develop the ability to eyeball appropriate portion sizes, calories and macronutrients. Once you can do this, you forfeit the ability to BS yourself about what you’re eating,

Examples of self-sabotaging magical thinking include: “Calories don’t count during the holidays,” and, “This ice cream sundae is a freebie because I worked out,” or even, “But I drank eight glasses of water. Now I can eat anything I want.” Um, yeah. Take a look in the mirror. Are you reaching your fitness goals? And no, that’s not a rhetorical question.

With a SANE approach to counting calories, tracking does NOT become a lifestyle, but a TOOL to help you achieve your health and fitness goals. In other words, this is NOT an invitation to obsess about calories.

Okay already. I’ll be your guinea pig.

I’ve used My Fitness Pal consistently for the past four weeks and discovered two things:

1. Seeing my workouts posted in black and white gives me a real sense of accomplishment and helps me stay motivated.
2. Seeing the foods that I’m eating and being aware of (not obsessing over!) the calories helps me focus and make good choices.
3. (I know I said two things). It makes me feel in control. And feeling in control = peace—for me. It’s a nebulous something I can’t explain. Maybe because I’m a control freak.

The criticism out there about MFP and calorie counting are the same criticisms that others might have about Whole 30. Many of you know how much I love the Whole30, but I also understand how some people find it too restrictive and how it could be damaging for someone who has a disordered eating history, or is a little OCD.

The internet being the great Vitamix of contradictory information, all this fitness and nutrition stuff seems to add up to a whole bunch of what you make of it—no black and white. Only shades of gray. No clear signal. Just white noise.

However you see or hear it, the good news is that in the end, it’s up to you. It’s up to you to research and investigate. To try this and that. To see how it all affects your waistline, health and happiness. You are your own science experiment, the ultimate goal of which is to feel amazing—energized, optimistic, resilient, well-rested, strong, fit and beautiful.

It reminds me of something kinda Shakespearean—to track or not to track—that is the question.

Now that you have taken all this with a grain of Celtic sea salt, let’s give tracking a cracking?

Here are some apps we’ve test-driven and recommend to help you stay accountable and boost your fitness level, and thank you to bootcamper and kettlebell client, Elise Miller who shares her own app pics to illustrate this post.

Looking for an all-in-one to track your workouts, calories, carbs and—bonus—water intake? We recommend LiveStrong’s MyPlate app. It’s easy to use and includes bazillions of foods you actually eat, including a bevy of Trader Joe’s items.

It tracks your water intake and helps you determine a daily caloric intake for optimal weight maintenance or weight loss. Not only that, but you can enter in the amount of calories you’ve expended—it helps you figure that out as well—and it will automatically adjust for your daily needs. The one thing missing from the MyPlate app? A macronutrient tracker. You know, the holy trinity: protein, fat and carbs.

If macros are what you’re after—if, for instance, you want to build what we call “lean mass,” then you’ll be focusing on getting enough protein, say .5 to 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight. In that case, go with the Bulk Up app. It tracks your protein and a whole bunch of other things, like calories, carbs, fiber, sugar and fat. It does not track your water or calorie expenditure, but it does include graphs and a handy pie chart.

How do you know how many calories you actually expend in a day? Check out the and figure it all out to the energy unit. Then put it to use to lose weight.

Want to tackle that chin-up bar once and for all? Or how about conquering a set of twenty or more consecutive military style pushups? The Pushups For Charity Challenge is right around the corner after all, HINT HINT.

Here’s a sampling of what’s available on iTunes-

Finally, the My Fitness Pal app. It tracks your goals, sets a calorie-intake depending on your goals, includes plenty of foods you actually eat, say from Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods or Giant, and also tracks your exercise, and factors in the calories you expend.

One additional feature of MFP that other tracking apps don’t offer is seeing into your fitness future. If you have a stellar day, MFP will let you know how much you’ll weigh in five weeks if you eat and exercise the same way for the duration. This can be very motivating. But watch out. Because conversely, if you succumb to a binge-fest, MFP will also let you know your weight in five weeks, eating at the same rate.

Find the perfect one for you and get cranking!

Have a favorite health and fitness app? Tell us about in the comments section or on our facebook page!

And happy tracking!

Warming up before exercising seems like a no-brainer. You know it’s important to prepare your muscles for the job they’re about to do. Warming up increases blood-flow to your muscles, allowing them to work efficiently and maximally. Warming up prevents injury, and from what I’ve experienced firsthand, and through my clients, no one wants to get injured. It sucks. Healing from an injury can take days, weeks or even months. This means missed workouts, lost gains and gained fat. Sounds depressing, huh?

The question is, if you know all this, why can’t you get your butt to class on time, to enjoy the benefits of a good warm-up?

Maybe this post will persuade you.

I want you to imagine a pile of rubber bands—the kind your mail comes with, courtesy of your US Government mail carrier. Now imagine a pile of those freebie rubber bands in your freezer.

What happens if you remove one of the rubber bands and stretch it while it’s frozen stiff? That’s right. It breaks.

Your muscles aren’t rubber bands, but they do lengthen and contract much like rubber bands, and when they’re cold, they do not work optimally.

Now imagine that same frozen rubber band. You take it out of the freezer and let it thaw. Once it’s nice and warm you can stretch it and it won’t break. It’s been primed, prepped and yes—WARMED UP.

Some specifics:

The TIME you spend warming up should correlate with the DURATION of your workout. If you’re working out for an hour, spend ten minutes warming up.

The INTENSITY of your warm up should reflect the intensity of the workout. Don’t be afraid to move some weight. Just make sure it’s not so challenging that you can’t complete 20 reps without breaking a sweat.

The TYPE of warm-up you perform should reflect the type of workout you’re about to do. For example, you wouldn’t warm up for a strength training workout by doing fifty jumping jacks. Jumping jacks would aid a conditioning workout better. For a strength-based program, warm up with, say, prisoner squats, incline push-ups, spidermen and walkouts. Of course if your workout is going to be a mixture of strength and conditioning exercises, make your warm-up a mixture too.

Note that the higher your fitness level, the shorter you can make your warm-up, but don’t neglect it completely. Remember those rubber bands.

By now you’ve already gleaned that *part* of the reason for this post is to gently nudge you into taking your warm-ups seriously—to remind you how important it is to get to class on time so you don’t miss this vital portion of your exercise routine. Studies have shown that it’s far more important to warm up before a workout than it is to stretch afterwards. We’ll thoroughly explore the issue of stretching  in a future post.

Warming up is not only beneficial for your body, but it benefits your mind as well, by preparing you for what’s to come. It gets you in the mood, so to speak. It can energize and motivate you, and give you time to set a goal—maybe to challenge yourself during sprints or to grab a heavier medicine ball than you’re used to.

Some words of warning regarding stretching as a warm-up—

If you assume that stretching alone is a viable warm-up, think again. Stretching cold muscles brings us back to the rubber band-in-the-freezer analogy. Stretching a cold muscle can cause strain, weakness and injury, which is that last thing you want—ever—but especially right before a challenging workout.

If you feel you must stretch before a workout—and I strongly advise that you don’t—you need to warm up in order to stretch, which, let’s face it, is like trying to clean your kid’s bedroom as he’s pulling every last toy off the shelves. It’s a ridiculous waste of time. And it’s not physically effective. It might not even be good for you. But if you insist, do it dynamically. In other words, don’t stand like a statue with your ankle in your hand stretching your quad in a static stretch for thirty seconds. Instead, opt for a series of slow reverse lunges or slow high-knees—something that incorporates MOVEMENT.

Now that you know how important warming up is, I hope to see you on time for class! And if you do have to be late–I do understand how life can get in the way–don’t expect to just jump right in without warming up. On the other hand, by showing up on time you’ll not only garner my unwavering approval and appreciation, but your body will thank you too. It may even perform better, allowing you to run faster, lift heavier, and look sexier in those skinny jeans.